Who Is Laila Cunningham? Reform UK’s London Mayoral Candidate Explained

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Who Is Laila Cunningham? — Background & Biography

Laila Cunningham (born August 1977) is a British politician, former prosecutor and Westminster City councillor who was recently unveiled as Reform UK’s candidate for Mayor of London for the 2028 election. (Wikipedia)

Early Life and Personal Background

  • Born in Paddington, London to Egyptian parents who emigrated in the 1960s, Cunningham grew up in the capital and has often spoken about her working‑class British upbringing and her family’s entrepreneurial past in hospitality. (Yahoo News)
  • She is a practising Muslim and a mother of seven children, with a blended family including children from previous relationships. (Yahoo News)

Professional Career

  • Cunningham trained and worked as a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), gaining experience as a senior crown prosecutor before entering full‑time politics. (Wikipedia)
  • In 2022, she was elected as a conservative councillor representing Westminster City Council (Lancaster Gate). (Wikipedia)

Political Journey & Party Affiliation

Defection to Reform UK

  • In June 2025, Cunningham defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, becoming Reform’s first councillor in a London borough. This marked a significant shift in her politics, and she said she was “tired of defending failure” on crime and public services under the Conservatives. (Wikipedia)
  • Her outspoken comments on law and order as a serving CPS lawyer generated controversy because prosecutors are expected to remain apolitical, and she ultimately resigned from the CPS after those remarks. (Wikipedia)

Mayoral Candidacy Announcement

  • On 7 January 2026, **Reform UK leader Nigel Farage officially unveiled Cunningham as the party’s candidate for Mayor of London in the 2028 mayoral election — a key part of the party’s strategy ahead of London local elections. (Bloomberg)

Case Studies: Campaign Positions & Themes

1. Law & Order Focus

Cunningham has made crime and policing a central theme of her campaign:

  • At her launch event, she promised to launch an “all‑out war on crime” in London, with a focus on knife crime, drugs, robbery, shoplifting and rape. (ITVX)
  • She has advocated for rewriting the London police and crime plan and giving “new marching orders” to the Metropolitan Police. (ITVX)
  • Cunningham also said she would task police with targeting and prosecuting grooming and rape gangs, reflecting her law‑and‑order rhetoric. (ITVX)

This hard‑line stance mirrors Reform UK’s broader messaging about crime and city safety under Labour’s Sadiq Khan, which party leaders have criticised heavily. (The Telegraph)

2. Transport & ULEZ

Another major policy stance is on London transport charges:

  • Cunningham has stated she would scrap the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) — a controversial emissions‑based zone aimed at reducing pollution — arguing it penalises motorists and working Londoners. (Yahoo News)

Her positions on transport charges play to voters concerned about cost of living and mobility in the capital.

3. Critique of Incumbent Leadership

At her unveiling, Cunningham and Farage jointly criticised Labour Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, saying his decade in office has seen London become less safe and less well governed — framing the coming election as a binary choice between their platform and the Labour incumbent. (The Standard)

Comments from Leadership & Public Figures

Nigel Farage (Reform UK Leader)

  • Farage praised Cunningham as “articulate, passionate” and emphasized her role as the face of Reform UK’s London campaign across all 32 boroughs. (GB News)
  • He framed the local elections and 2028 mayoral race as a critical test for both Reform UK and national politics, suggesting a win in London could have broader implications. (ITVX)

Public & Media Commentary

Supportive Views

  • Reform supporters and some commentators see Cunningham as a fresh, articulate challenger, particularly because she combines professional legal experience with local government background and strong law‑and‑order rhetoric. (consistent with profiles) (GB News)

Critical Perspectives

  • Critics, including some commentators and regional media observers, argue that positioning Cunningham — and other Reform figures — as leadership faces is part of a political tactic to broaden appeal, sometimes framed as using minority voices to front divisive agendas. (Yahoo News)
  • There is also scrutiny of her controversial comments on race, policing, and society that have attracted significant public debate. (Yahoo News)

Summary — Who Laila Cunningham Is

Laila Cunningham is:

  • A British politician and former Crown Prosecution Service lawyer. (Wikipedia)
  • Westminster City councillor, initially Conservative, who defected to Reform UK in 2025, becoming the party’s first London borough councillor. (Wikipedia)
  • Reform UK’s candidate for Mayor of London in the 2028 election, known for a tough law‑and‑order agenda, critiques of current city leadership, and pledges on policing and transport policy. (ITVX)

Her candidacy reflects Reform UK’s strategy to challenge Labour in the capital and broaden its electoral appeal in key urban contests — setting up a high‑stakes political contest ahead of the next mayoral poll. (City AM)

Here’s a case‑studies and comments‑focused profile of Laila Cunningham — Reform UK’s London mayoral candidate, showing who she is, how she rose to prominence, her policy stances and what different commentators are saying about her:

Case Study 1 — Personal & Professional Background

Who she is:
Laila Cunningham is a Westminster City councillor who became widely known after defecting from the Conservative Party to Reform UK in June 2025. Before entering politics she was a senior lawyer with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) — a role she resigned from after making political comments that breached civil service neutrality rules. (Wikipedia)

Personal details:

  • Born and raised in London to Egyptian immigrant parents who started a small business in the UK after arriving in the 1960s. (Yahoo News)
  • A practising Muslim and a mother of seven children. (Yahoo News)
  • Played basketball in her youth (London Youth Games), which she says helped shape her sense of team spirit. (GB News)

Political path:

  • Ran unsuccessfully for Westminster City Council in 2018, but was elected in 2022 as a Conservative councillor. (Yahoo News)
  • Defected to Reform UK in 2025, branding the Conservatives as having failed on crime, immigration and net‑zero policy. (Yahoo News)
  • Has been seen by party figures as “a rising star” within Reform and was chosen as the party’s candidate for London Mayor in 2028 — also leading Reform’s campaign ahead of the May 7, 2026 borough elections. (GB News)

Case Study 2 — Mayoral Campaign & Policy Positions

At her launch, Cunningham and Reform UK portrayed her as a tough‑on‑crime advocate and a challenger to incumbent Labour mayor Sadiq Khan:

Crime & Policing

  • Promises an “all‑out war on crime” if elected, with clear priorities for the Metropolitan Police including tackling knife crime, drugs, robbery, shoplifting and rape. (ITVX)
  • Says she would rewrite the London police and crime plan and give “new marching orders” to the Met — framing crime as a matter of priorities, not police numbers. (The Standard)
  • Has described the current crime situation as “not theoretical” and said Londoners are scared to walk the streets. (The Standard)

Transport & Cost of Living

  • Pledges to scrap the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), arguing it hits working Londoners hardest and represents a “war on motorists”. (GB News)

Governance & Leadership

  • Criticises existing leadership (Khan and Metropolitan Police leadership), calling for accountability and even the firing of the Met chief if they fail Londoners. (The Standard)

One analyst describes her early campaign remarks as deeply focused on crime and safety narratives, reflecting Reform’s strategic positioning against Labour in the capital. (The Spectator)

Public & Media Commentary

Supportive or strategic reactions

  • Reform figures and some political commentators see Cunningham as articulate, passionate and capable of broadening Reform’s appeal, in part because she combines personal London roots with professional legal experience. (GB News)
  • Her campaign narrative that London has “lost its way” on policing and public safety resonates with parts of Reform’s voter base that are focused on those issues. (GB News)

Criticism & controversy

  • Some journalists and commentators highlight that her law and order rhetoric has been polarising — for example, on social media she has made strong claims about immigration and policing that critics have described as divisive. (GB News)
  • The Guardian noted at Reform’s launch that leader Nigel Farage, while announcing her, had to respond to questions about other controversial party comments, including accusations of racism in party ranks — an illustration of broader reputational challenges for the campaign she leads. (inkl)

Commentary & opinion snapshots

  • A senior Reform member told one outlet that Cunningham was seen as the standout candidate and was hugely popular within Reform’s London branches, partly due to her outspoken stance on crime. (The Spectator)
  • In online political spaces (e.g., Reddit), reactions vary — some see such candidates as unlikely to win in London’s diverse, labour‑leaning electorate, and others critique Reform’s messages as out of step with mainstream urban voters. (Reddit)

Summary: Candidate Profile, Campaign Focus & Commentary

Laila Cunningham
A former CPS prosecutor and Westminster councillor with a personal story deeply rooted in London life. (Yahoo News)
Defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK, reflecting ideological shifts on crime, immigration and governance. (Wikipedia)
Runs as Reform UK’s London mayoral candidate for 2028, with core themes of crime reduction, police prioritization and cost of living issues (e.g., ULEZ repeal). (ITVX)
Commentators see her as bolstering Reform’s visibility in London but also note her positions and rhetoric can be polarising and contentious in media and political forums. (The Independent)

 Key Takeaways

Core Campaign Focus:

  • Crime & safety first — rewriting policing plans, targeting serious offences. (ITVX)
  • Transport policy — ULEZ repeal to ease cost pressures. (GB News)

Political Significance:

  • Her candidacy is part of Reform UK’s broader strategy to challenge Labour in London and influence local elections as a springboard for national momentum. (GB News)

Public Reaction:

  • Supporters praise her clear stance and personal narrative. (GB News)
  • Critics raise concerns about divisive statements and question her broader electability. (inkl)

 

Categories: GB News, UK News